Knife.



Patented Aug. 2|, 19001 HIR'SCH.

KNIFE.

(Application filed May 11, 1900) (No Model.)

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nms PETERS on. morodrma. waumm'ow D c NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ISAACHIRSCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KNIFE.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,457, dated August1900.

Application filed. May 11, 1900. Serial No. 16,256. (NomodelJ To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC HIRSGH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Knives, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in handles for cutlery generally,and more especially for table-knives; and it consists in the improvedarticle of manufacture as well as in a novel and improved method ofmanufacture.

My object is to provide a cutlery-handle which will give to the articlethe appearance of being formed throughout in one piece and which will beparticularly light, strong, durable, inexpensive to manufacture, anddesirable in use.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a finished table-knife of my improvedconstruction; Fig. 2, a view of the knife-blade and a tang formedintegral therewith; Fig.3, an inner side of one of a pair of scaleswhich form the handle and bolsterportion of the knife Fig. 4, anenlarged section taken on line 4 of Fig; 1, and Fig. 5 a section takenon line 5 of Fig. 1.

A, B, and G are respectively the handle, bolster, andblade portions of atable-knife. The handle A and bolster B are hollow and formed of twosimilarly-constructed scales a, fitting together along their edgeportions. The blade 0 has a tang 19, preferably of the exact outline andsize of the inner edge portions of the scales, so that when the scalesare fitted together over the tang the latter is held immovably in place.Each scale a is stamped out of sheet metal to produce the concavo-convexpart a, which forms one side of the handle A, and the part 0, whichforms one side of the bolster B. The scales and tang are provided,preferably, with coincident rivet-holes c c.

In the manufacture of the knife the scales a are fitted together overthe tang b, and rivets d are passed through the holes 0 c to hold theparts together. This rivet-fastening is for the purpose merely ofholding the parts against relative movementduring the subsequent weldingor brazing operation by which thescales and tang are fastened rigidlytogether, and the parts a are fastened against opposite sides of theknife-blade. The rivets 03 may be dispensed with and the parts heldtogether by means of wires wrapped around the scales. I prefer, however,to employ the rivets, because they do not interfere in any way with thewelding or brazing operation and tend in a measure to strengthen thehandle portion. Although the parts may be welded together, I prefer tofasten them by dipping the handle and bolsterportions into liquefiedbrazing material, which fills the joints, fastens the parts togetherwith great security, and gives to the finished article the appearance ofbeing formed throughout in one piece; It is usual and desirable to platethe entire knife, or at least the handle and bolster portions, withsilver or nickel by dip= ping them into a proper solution. In the caseof a hollow handle and bolster it is neeessary that all the joints shallbe completely closed to render them liquid excluding, otherwise in theplating operation and later in the immersion of the knife into water thehandle and bolster portion will be filled with liquid.

I have found in practice that, particularly in the brazing operation,owing to the heat of the brazing material the air in the handle andbolster portion expands and forces its way through the joints betweenopposite parts of the bolster or between the bolster and knifeblade,with the result that openings are left which are difficult to closeandwill admit liquid. To overcome this objection, I provide either oneor both the scales at the bolster portion with a small opening 6, whichoperates as a vent which will admit very little of the brazing material,but permits the air to escape. By employing the vent opening or openingsall the joints between the scales themselves and between them and theknifeblade are completely closed by the brazing material, and previousto plating the hole or holes 6 may be plugged with a rivet or the like.After the plating operation none of the rivets d or plugs at theopenings '6 can be seen.

I prefer to provide a tang b, as described, to extend the full length ofthe interior of the handle. It thus contributes sufiicientweight tocause the handle to overbalance the blade, and thus maintain the bladeout of contact with the surface on which the knife rests. If

desired, however, the tang may extend no further than the dotted line 00in Fig. 2 and will still serve to maintain the parts rigid.

A knife constructed as described is particularly strong and light, aswell as attractive in appearance.

gral therewith, I produce a particularly inexpensive and desirableconstruction, rendered particularly strong when the parts are brazed 0rwelded together, as described.

My invention is applicable to all kinds of table-cutlery, whetherknives, forks, or steels, and by the term blade I intend to include thecutting portion of a knife, the pronged portion of a fork, or thesharpening portion of a steel.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The method of forming the handle and bolster portions of an articleof cutlery which consists in stamping two scales, which fitted togetherform said portions,out of sheet metal, forming the cutlery-blade with aflat tang of the width and outline of the inner edges of the scales,fastening the scales against opposite sides of the blade, to house andcontact with the edges of the tang, and then securing :i the partstogether and hermetically sealing By stamping the scales out. of sheetmetal, with the bolster portions inteall thejoints between them withmolten metal, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of forming the handle and bolster'portions of an articleof cutlery which consists in stamping two scales, which fitted togetherform said portions,out of sheet metal, forming the cutlery-blade with afiat tang of the Width and outline of the inner edges of the scales,fastening thescales against opposite sides of the blade, to house andcontact "*"with the edges of the tang, providing a ventopening in thebolster portion, securing the parts together and hermetically sealingall the joints between them with molten metal, and then plugging saidvent-opening, substantially as set forth.

'3. As a new article of manufacture, an article of table-cutlery havinga blade and flat tang formed integral, and a handle and bolster portionformed of sheet-metal scales fitting against opposite sides of the bladeand housing and contacting with the edges of the tang, all the partsbeing secured together and the joints between them hermetically sealedwith molten metal, substantially as described.

ISAAC I-IIRSOH.

In presence of- D. WV. LEE, A. D. BAocr.

